It’s Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Week!

Spring conferences are here and we want to make sure parents are aware of the 2019 spring conference schedule. Both DPE and Arcadia have contacted families with information about the opportunity to schedule conferences with teachers. On Wednesday night (March 27th), DPMS plans to host an “open house celebration” with student work on display – individual conferences are available upon request on Thursday, March 28th. DPHS is hosting arena-style conferences on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings with “open classrooms” from 6:00pm to 7:00pm each evening.

If you have specific needs and would like to request a meeting with your child’s teacher, please be sure to contact the main office of the school your child attends. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher – the link between home and school is a key factor in student success.

Additionally, as a regular part of our parent/teacher conferences, teachers may be asking you to participate in a short survey to gather feedback regarding the structure and value of conferences. We would greatly appreciate your insight and look forward to using the information we collect to ensure that our conferences meet your needs and provide you with helpful information about your child’s progress.

Conference week officially begins on Wednesday, March 27th – the schedule is as follows:

On Wednesday, March 27th conferences will be scheduled starting at the end of the school day and will continue into the evening hours (again, DPMS is hosting an Open House Celebration) – Wednesday, March 27th is a regular school day for all students.

Both Thursday, March 28th and Friday, March 29th are non-student days in all buildings as teachers will be engaged in parent/teacher conferences or in student-led conferences throughout the day and into the evening. Please contact the main office where your kids attend for a more specific conference schedule.

The fall conference schedule leads directly into Spring Break, which officially begins on Monday, April 1st.

Here are some strategies to maximize the value of your conference:

Conferences are valuable for students, parents, and teachers:

For students, the parent-teacher conference provides an opportunity to reinforce positive attitudes and behavior. The facts are overwhelming, students whose parents are interested and involved in the student’s school experience are far more likely to achieve at high levels. For teachers, conferences create a unique and personal opportunity to establish a positive partnership in the student’s learning. Teachers often come away from conferences saying they learned a great deal by interacting with the child’s parents.

For parents, conferences offer the opportunity to sit one to one with the teacher and talk about their child. Conferences help parents build a better understanding of the daily routines and expectations in the classroom. This is an important opportunity for parents to get a snapshot of their child as a learner and ask questions about how to help at home. If you have a serious concern about an area of academic growth, be sure to let the teacher know. Your child’s teacher(s) will be happy to share strategies and ideas to increase success and self-assurance.

Teachers put a great deal of work and time into preparation for these conferences. They are eager to help your child be the best he/she can be. Your support is vital in creating the best possible educational experience for your child.

In order to make your conference experience the best it can be, we’ve provided some questions you might want to ask. Additionally, we’ve also suggested some things you might want to tell the teacher about your child.

Things you may want to ask the teacher:

How is my child doing academically?

Does my child participate in classroom activities?

Does he/she show self-control in school?

Can my child work independently, or does he/she need supervision?

How does my child get along with classmates?

How is my child handling grade level learning materials?

Has my child shown any special interests or abilities?

How can I help my child at home?

Does my child express thoughts and ideas clearly?

Does my child seem to be happy in school?

Things you may want to tell the teacher:

Which school activities your child talks about most while at home.

What responsibilities your child handles at home.

If anything has happened lately at home that might affect your child’s performance at school.